Gear-cutting machine



(No Model) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- P. H. RICHARDS.

GEAR CUTTING MACHINE.

No. 805,233. Patented Sept. 16, 1884.

Inventor T l ifncsses -2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.) I

P. H. RICHARDS.

GEAR GUTTlNGiMAOHINE.

Patented Sept. 16, 1884.

Invenior;

Nirnn STATES PATENT FFICE.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE PRATT & WHITNEY COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

GEAR-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 305,233, dated September 16, 1884.

Application filed December 31, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: master-wheel, as M, fixed thereon, which may Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, be either a bevel or a worm wheel, of which I a citizen of the United States, residing at prefer the latter.

" Springfield, in the county of Hampden and Bearings F F are provided on the frame for State of Massachusetts, have invented certain a shaft, H", preferably parallel to ways A, that new and useful Improvements in Gear-Cutting carries a pinion, 1 of a construction adapting Machines, of which the following is a specifiit to gear with the master-wheel M. Another cation, reference being had to the accompabearing, F, is provided opposite F for supnying drawings. porting the upper end of a shaft, I, and a train IO My invention relates to that class of gearof suitablegearingbetween thatshaftandshaft cutting machines in which the blanks are cut H transmits rotary motion from the former to by means of a hob.or helical cutter and are the latter. Of that train of gearing, C and G revolved during the cutting operation harmoare removably fixed to shafts I and H respectniously with that cutter. It has for its object ively, while the one or more intermediate r 5 to provide a machine for the purpose degears, F are or may be-both removably and scribed of simple and rigid construction, in adjustably fixed by any suitable means-as, which the blank shall be revolved through the for instance, the slotted stud-holder D. The agency of the cutter-arbor harmoniously with shaft I below bearing F is splined to work that arbor. For the attainment of thatobin a gear, K, that is carried upon carriage '70 2 ject it consists in a rigid frame, a blank-arbor C in a fixed position thereto by means of a having a master-wheel thereon,,a cutter-arbor bearing, B, on that carriage. The cutter: mounted upon a carriage, and an arrangement arbor V is adapted to be revolvedin asuitof gearing, hereinafter described, whereby roable bearing on carriage C by means of a tary motion is communicated from the cutterpulley or equivalent device-as, for instance, arbor to the blankarbor. a gear or a shaft jointedly connected thereto,

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan and carries a pinion, L, adapted, to rotate gear view of a machine embodying my invention; K, and thereby shaft I.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation. Fig. 3 is a front It will be obvious from the drawings and elevation. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the rightthe preceding description that the blank-arbor 8:)

6 hand side of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a diagram, K is rotated harmoniously with the cutterhereinafter described. arbor V through the agency of the latter Similar characters of reference refer to simiarbor, the means whereby that result is aclar parts throughout the several views. complished being the gearing, by which term The frame A of the machine may be made I include also the shafts and their supports composite or integral, as shown; but I prefer carrying that gearing, described, intermediate the latter construction, andto have it so formed to those arbors. as to be adapted to stand in a-vertical posi- In operating my machine the blank is fixed tion. In that case it rests upon suitable legs on arbor K and the hob on arbor V. Asuitor supports; or, if of large dimensions, it may ably-constructed train of gears, C F and G", 9o 0 preferably be formed with a flanged base, as B. are placed in position, and the machine start- Upon ihe front of the machine, which is ed operating by abelt on pulley H, allin subshown in Fig. 3, or upon one of the sides, as stantially the manner usual in this class of in the present instance, are ways A, of any machines. The hob is then fed to the blank suitable proportions, whereon a carriage, C, by means of screw N until the blank is suffi- 5 45 carrying the cutter arbor, is adapted to ciently cut, when it is withdrawn and the fintravel by means of a screw, N, working in ished worm-wheel removed.

a nut (not shown) fixed on that carriage. A Heretofore in machines of this class, when crank, T, is provided for turning that screw the arbor K is driven through the agency of by hand. the cutter-arbor,the shaft corresponding to H 10 50 In a suitable fixed bearinga blank-arbor, as has been placed parallel to arbor V, and that K, adaptodto be revolved by means of a shaft H and arbor V connected directly by in position with Fig. 4.

means of a train of spur-wheelsas, for in stance, in the diagram Fig. 5, corresponding In that diagram the abor V is shown as if supported in an oscillating frame pivotally supported upon shaft H, which is there horizontal and above the master-wheel M. The driving-gear C operates to rotate gear G by means of an intermediate gear, F". Now, suppose the gear G to be at rest and the arbor V to be moved downward, as in the operation of cutting-a worm-wheel, it is obvious that the said gear G" becomes a sun-wheel and the gear F aplanet-wheel,having a rotary motion about-its own axis in the direction indicated by the arrow thereon. That rotation of that gear operates to revolve gear 0 in the opposite direction, as indicated by the arrow thereon. Hence it is obvious during the operation of cutting wornrwheels in such a machine there will. be avariation in the rotation of; the worm I and of the hob, whereby the latter will be forced to cut more rapidly upon one side of the teeth thereof than upon the other. That inequality of cut ting naturally produces more or less side pressure on the hob and a consequent strain upon and torsion of parts of the machine,especially arbor K, which is highly. objectionable, and the more so as the hobs used increase in pitch. By the use of two shafts, as described, of which the one geared to the cutter-arbor is splined and situated parallel to the ways of carriage C, that objectionable feature of the machine is entirely removed, and by the construction 'of the frame and general arrangement of the parts thereon great rigidity of the whole'is secured. V

The shaft I, instead of being fixed in gear 0 and adapted to slide in gear K, may be fixedin the latter and adapted to slide in the former. I prefer that the gear-wheel and pinion K and L shall be a wornrwheel and wormpinion, respectively; but I do not limit myself thereto, but may use bevel'gearing or screwgearing in place thereof, making in that case, of course, a corresponding modificationin the parts supporting and operated by the same.

I do not limit myself to any particular form of carriage 0, nor to a single bearing for a1:- bor V, nor to a bearing for that arbor rigidly fixed to that carriage. a

I do not claim, broadly, in a machine of this general class combinations having a pair of shafts of which one is splined for the purpose described, as I am aware such have been used; butI am not aware that such shafts have ever been used in the combinations herein described and claimed.

I claim as my invention 1. In a gear-cutting machine of the class de scribed, in combination, a suitable frame, as A, an arbor, K, a master-wheel, as M, on said arbor, a shaft, H, carrying a pinion, I, thereon, a carriage, O, carrying a cutter-arbor, that is also the driving-shaft of the machine, a

splined shaft, I, parallel to the ways of said carriage, gearing between said cutter arbor and said shaft I, and gearing between shafts I and H, substantially as agid for the purpose described.

2. In a gear-cutting machine of the class described,- in combination, a suitable frame, as A, an arbor, K, a master worm-wheel, M, on

said arbor, a shaft, H carrying a worm-pinion, I", thereon, a carriage, carrying a cutter-arbor, as V, a splined shaft, I, parallel to the ways of said carriage, gearing between said cutter-arbor and said shaft I, and gearingbetwcen shafts I and H, substantially asand for the purpose described.

3. In a gear-cutting machine of the class dey 

